New Fish- please help diagnose

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J

JDCichlid

Plecostomus
MFK Member
May 7, 2021
111
132
61
37
Have you tested your water?
Yes
If yes, what is your ammonia?
0 ppm
If yes, what is your nitrite?
0 ppm
If yes, what is your nitrate?
0 ppm
If I did not test my water...
  1. ...I recognize that I will likely be asked to do a test, and that water tests are critical for solving freshwater health problems.
Do you do water changes?
Yes
What percentage of water do you change?
51-60%
How frequently do you change your water?
Every week
If I do not change my water...
  1. ...I recognize that I will likely be recommended to do a water change, and water changes are critical for preventing future freshwater health problems.
These synspilum came in about a week ago (I was out of town). Came home today and checked them out and 3 of the 9 have something going on. Not sure if it’s fin rot, lymphocytosis, or something else entirely.

I usually treat new fish with salt and heat and then follow up with aquarium co-op’s med trio about a week later. Since these fish have something going on I’d like to treat the issue at hand first. Please help diagnose so I can quarantine properly.

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Looks like epistylis to me. I have only encountered it 1 time in 43 yrs and didn’t diagnose it quickly enough to treat it. I lost the 1 fish it infected.
I believe lowering temp to mid 70’s, using high salt concentrations & kanaplex soaked food 🤙🏼
 
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I agree, looks like epistylis to me. Not too much you can do as it acts fast and is always present in the tank. Naturally it's eating the stuff in your filter, but if the tank is overcrowded or overfed with not enough circulation, the ensuing bacterial blooms can make the epistylis population bloom as well. The epistylis itself isn't the thing killing the fish though; it's simply colonizing on the fish as it filter feeds on the suspended bacteria, and as it feeds it releases an enzyme that happens to eat through the slime coat of the fish, which exposes the fish to things like columnaris, which are also always in the tank. The columnaris (or similar bacteria) is what eats at the fish's fins. This makes the infection compound as the epistylis then feeds on the bacteria infecting the fish.

I had two separate outbreaks that wiped four of my tanks last year. Lost over 100 fish (probably 80 tetras, 20+ cichlids, 5 catfish, a few livebearers, 14 entire species wiped from my tanks) between the two outbreaks because I mistook them for other issues and tried treating for the wrong thing in the first few days but it was over within a week. First round mistook it for velvet, and it got both my 125s/one of the 40s, second round thought it was a heater malfunction killing the fish (which did occur and probably got a few of them the first day) but that got a separate 40. Again it's less the epistylis that is contagious and moreso the bacteria that it's feeding off of. Probably my worst year in fishkeeping.

Your best course of action is do a big waterchange, increase circulation in the tank, and turn the heater off. Then if possible treat for the bacterial infection with kanamycin mixed into their food.
 
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Agree, looks like epistylis. Definitely do large frequent water changes, do not raise temp, and I’d go with a combo of Rid Ich Plus or Hikari Ich X combined with kanamycin or erythromycin.

If it’s not responding and you suspect it’s getting worse with a secondary columnaris infection, you can combine kanamycin and nitrofurazone.
 
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